Switch-operating mechanism.



A. B ALLEN.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1a. 1908.

922,233. Patented May 18,1909,

Atzorney S ATENHT OFFlQE.

AARON BURR ALLEN, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

SWITCH-OPE RATING ME OHANISM.

Specification 01" Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed June 16, 1908. Serial No. 438,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Op cratingMechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to .new and useful improvements in switchoperating mechanism and it is primarily an object of the invention toprovide a novel device of this character including a pivoted lever, saidlever being provided with means to prevent it from rebounding.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device of thischaracter wherein the pivoted lever is provided with a sliding catchadapted to contact with a projection for holding the lever in itsvarious positions.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device of thischaracter wherein the sliding catch of the lever is reciprocated by acam movable transversely of the lever.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device of thischaracter which will be simple in construction, eflicient andadvantageous in practice and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thedetails of construction and in the novel arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein likecharacters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views,and in which Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the invention with theinclosing plate removed, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe operating lever illustrating additional details of the invention,and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a slightly modified form of latchcontrolling mechanism.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a plate provided with guiding flanges .2 forthe mechanism depending from a car. The mechanism carried by a car maybeas desired as such mechanism forms no part of the present invention.Pivotally held intermediate its length and the plate 1 between theguiding flanges 2 is the switch operating lever 3 which has adjacent oneend, a depending member 4 passing through a segmental slot 5 in theplate 1. It is to this depending member 4 that the rod 6 for operatingor throwing the switch point is connected. The details of this mechanismare not shown as they are well known. The rear of the lever 3 is flaredat 7 and the major portion of.

its length from its pivotal connection is re duced in thickness as isfully shown in the drawings. The upper surface of the reduced portion ofthe lever 3 is provided with a longitudinal groove 8 in which isslidably mounted a latch 9 which is held slightly projected beyond therear end of the lever 3 by an expansible spring 10 bearing against theinner end of the groove 8 and against the inner end of the latch 9. Thereduced portions of the lever 3 are also provided with a transverselyextending groove 11 intersecting the groove 8 and the latch 9 is alsoprovided with a transverse groove 12. The groove 12 of the latch 9 isofgreater width than that of the lateral groove 11. This arrangement isnecessary so that the groove of the latch 9 will extend across thegroove 11 in all of the positions of the latch 9.

Slidably mounted in the groove 11 is a plate 13 projecting beyond bothsides of the lever 3. This plate is provided adjacent its outer edgewith an elongated slot 14 through which passes a pin 15 depending fromthe closure plate 16 for the reduced portion of the lever. This pin isprovided with an anti-friction roller 17. It is thought to be obviousthat through the medium of the slot 14 and pin 15 that the plate 13 isassured of proper movement.

The inner edge of the plate 13 is provided with a V-notch 18, the pointsof which are adapted to contact with an anti-friction roller 19 carriedby a pin 20 projecting outwardly from the latch 9 within its groove 12.It is thought to be apparent that when the operating device of a carcontacts witheither of the projected portions of the plate 13, saidplate willbemovedlaterally of the leverS and owing to the V notch of theplate, the latch will be drawn inwardly and that after the operatingdevice of the car has passed beyond the plate 13, the spring 10 willcause the latch 9 to project again. This latch 9 is adapted to act inconjunction with a projection 21 arranged centrally of the plate 1 inproximity to the rear of the lever 3 and it is thought tobe a '7 arenthow the lever 3 will be automatica l y ocked in its difiierent positionsand thereby prevent said lever 3 from rebounding, a disadvantage whichhas been heretofore found most pronounced.

As the lever 3 is held firmly in'position the switch rail can notrebound or spring partly back, and cause what is known as split switchwhich is so dangerous especially in icy weather and the cause of nearlyevery accident in street railway service. 1

In Fig. 3 is shown a slight form of invention wherein the plate 13 isprovided with a cam opening 14 which has engaging the walls thereof thepin 15 projectin upwardly from the latch 9. This form has been found to.erform its function with great facility an is of great benefit as it isof less structural complications than the form disclosed by Figs. '1 and2. I

Iclaim: N V

,1. In'combination with the operating lever I of apoint throwing switch;-a,latchmovably held by the lever normally projecting beyond one endthereof, means I with which said latch co-acts. to hold said levernormally against movement, a in carried by the latch combination with aand a late .movabe transversely of the lever, said plate having a Vnotch in one edge thereof, the pin of thelatchpassing within thenotclu vt v2. In. a switch operating mechanism, the late having guiding flangest hereon;,of a everpivotedto said plate, said lever having one of itsends provided witha longitudinal and a transverse groove; of a latchslidably mounted in the longitudinalgroove, said latch alsohavin'g atransverse groove re istering with the transverse groove in the ever,aplate extended through the transverse groove in the lever and meanscarried by the latch and cooperating with the plate, to move said latchlongitudinally when the plate in the transverse grooves ismoved'longitudlnally.

3. In a switch-operating mechanism, the

combination with a pivotally mounted level, one end of which isprovidedwith a longitudinallyextending groove and a transversely,extending groove intersecting the longitudinal groove; of a leverslidably mounted in the longitudinal groove, said lever having atransverse groove'in its length,

registering with the transverse groove in the lever, a plate extendingthrough the transverse groove and beyond *the edgesofthe lever, means toretainthe late inposition, said latehaving a notch t erein and means ont e latch cooperating with said notch, whereby the latch will be movedlongitudinally whenpthe jplateis moved .endwise through thetransverse'grooves. I

4.. In a switch operating mechan'ism,;the

combination with a pivoted lever having a longitudinally extendinggroove and :a transversely eXtendin groove; of a latchslidably .mountedin the ongitudinal-groove, means "to normally hold the outer end of thelatch beyond the end of the lever,-a plate transveIsely, slidable of thelatch and means car ried by the latch and cooperating with the plateadapted to move the latch inwardly when the plate is movedlongitudinally.

5. In va switch-operating mechanism, the

combination with a pivotally mounted lever;

of a latchslidabl -h unted on the lever, means to hold the outer end ofthe latch nor- 'mally extended beyond the end of the lever,"

a plate transversely slidable of the latch,

said plate having a notch thereirnra roller carried by the latchadapted'to engage said notch, thewalls of said notch being so .arrangedas to cause the latch to move longitudinally when the, plate is movedtransverselya'nd'means -to re-tainthe plate in cooperative relationshipwith the latch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

r I AARON BURR ALLEN. tness s ISAAC BUTZ,

WILLIAM Ram.

